OVERSEAS CONFERENCES

About the International Conferences in U. K., the first was inaugurated by Shri M. K. Rasgotra, the second by Mr. Norman Lamount, M.P.,Secretary for Treasury, U.K., the third by Dr. L. M. Singhvi, India’s High Commissioner in U.K., the fourth in London and Birmingham the next day. Deputy High Commissioner Mr. K. V Rajan inaugurated, while noted NRI Industrialist Lord Swraj Paul delivered the Keynote Address.

Two International Conferences were held in U.S.A., first in New York in 1989 and second in Detroit in 1993. Dr. Aabid Hussain, India’s Ambassador to USA inaugurated both the events. Union Minister Shri Balram Singh Yadav was the Chief Guest in Detroit, one held in Bangkok (Thailand) in October 1992 was inaugurated by Shri A. N. Ram, India’s Ambassador to Thailand. Another one held in Singapore on 11th April 1994, Shri Bhajan Lal, Chief Minister of Haryana was the Chief Guest while Shri B. M. C. Nayar, India’s High Commissioner to Singapore inaugurated.

NRI DAY CELEBRATED

The NRI Institute celebrated 12th January 2004 as NRI DAY in New Delhi. Shri I. K. Gujral, inaugurated the NRI Day. Shri S. S. Dhindsa, Dr. L. M. Singhvi, Shri R. L. Bhatia, Shri Digvijay Singh, Sir Michael Arthur British High Commissioner to India, Lord Dholakia, Mr. H. S. Narula, Mr. Karan Bilimoria, Mr. Rasik H. Patel (U.K.), Mr. T. J. Rao (Australia), Mr. Randeep Agarwal (Netherland), Mr. M. Y. Khan (India), Dr. Chandrakant Sardeshmukh (Japan) addressed the various Sessions

NRI AWARDS BANQUET IN LONDON

8th NRI Awards Banquet – 2004 on 9th June at Radisson SAS Portman Hotel, London. Participants included Lord Dholakia, Lord Bhatia, Lord Paul, Lord Adam Patel, Lord Naren Patel, Viscount Slim, Baroness Fleather, Keith Vaz MP, Tony McNulty MP, Tony Baldry MP, Ambassador K.V. Rajan, Air Chief Marshal N.C. Suri, V.C. Burman and Karan Bilimoria besides others. Noted NRI Businessman Shri Trinetra Bajpai of Saudi Arabia delivered the Keynote Address. The Banquet was attended by more than 400 NRIs / PIOs from the world over.

TYTLER RELEASES NRI INSTITUTE NEWSLETTER

Shri Jagdish Tytler, Union Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs released the NRI Institute Newsletter on 19th August 2004 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Shri Tarlochan Singh, Chairman, National Minorities Commission presided over the function. Those who addressed were NRI Members of Parliament Shri Madhu Goud Yaskhi, Shri Abdul Wahab P.V. and Shri Malay Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. The function was attended by more than one hundred NRIs from all over the world.

NRI BANQUET IN DUBAI

The NRI Banquet was held at Hotel Hyatt, Dubai on 27 September 2004. The Theme of the Banquet “The increasing Non Oil Trade between India and the Middle East on parallel with the emergence of the Gulf NRIs as a Power Factor”. The Event provided an opportunity to meet and interact with the business and professional NRIs / PIOs from the Gulf and Mid East region. Shri Trinetra Bajpai (Saudi Arabia), Shri B. R. Shetty and Shri Yusuff Ali M.A. (Abu Dhabi), Sardar Tarlochan Singh, MP, H.E. Sheikh Mazen Khalifa Alahiq Al Nuaimi, Ambassador of India to UAE, H.E. Sudhir Vyas, Consul General of India to Dubai, Y. K. Sinha, NRI Members of Parliament, Shri Abdul Wahab P.V. and Shri Madhu Goud Yaskhi addressed more than five hundred NRIs.

31ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF PRAVASI INDIANS

31st International Conference of Pravasi Indians, held on 10th and 11th January 2005 held at Hotel Hyatt Regency, Bhikaiji Cama Place, New Delhi was attented by more than 300 global Indians.

Shri Kapil Sibal, inaugurated the Conference, Shri Subodh Kant Sahay, Shri Surinder Singla, Shri Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Shri Babulal Gaur, The British High Commissioner to India, Sir Michael Arthur, NRI Member of Parliament, Shri Madhu Gaud Yaskhi, Sardar Tarlochan Singh, MP, Lord Rana, Lord Lall of Woodlands, Co-Chairman, Indo-British Partnership Initiative, Shri Karan Bilimoria, CBE, Chairman, Afro-Asian Insurance Co. (UK and India), Shri Rasik Patel, Justice A. M. Ebrahim (Zimbabwe), Regional President, Group 4 Securicor, Shri David I. Hudson, General Secretary, British Asian Conservative Link (UK), Dr. Rami Ranger, Chairman, Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd., Shri M. Y. Khan, Chairman, Nova Group of Companies (UK) & Chairman, MKC Trust, Shri A. P. S. Chawla, President, Citiscap Equities Ltd. (Canada), Dr. G. S. Paul, CEO, Techno Lifestyle Gmbh & Co. (Germany), Shri Rajive Ranjan, Chairman, D. S. Group (UK), Shri H. S. Narula, President, Hindu Council of Africa (Kenya), Shri Muljibhai Pindolia, Mr. Ylias Akbaraly (Madagascar), Mr. Jamshed Pardiwala (Seychelles), Mr. S. K. Wadhawan (Kuwait), Prof. M. D. Sharma (Fiji), Mr. Brijendra Saxena (Switzerland), and others addressed the various Sessions. To recognize the achievements and the contribution made by the Indian Diaspora, 25 NRIs/ PIOs were honoured with Pravasi Excellence Award presented by the Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Shri Jagdish Tytler to commend their efforts to enhance India’s prestige in the country of their adoption and commitment to their Motherland.

32ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN DUBAI

32nd International Conference of Indians and Non-Resident Indians was held at Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers at Dubai on 15th September 2005. Chief Guest, was H.E. C. M. Bhandari, Ambassador of India to UAE, Government of Rajasthan was the Partner State to the Conference, International Chairman Rasik Patel welcomed the guests and, Jagmohan Singh, Secretary General, introduced the NRIs. Those present were Dr. Rami Ranger, A.P.S. Chawla and Rajan Sehgal (UK), Jamshed Pardiwalla (Seychelles), Dr. Shyam Parashar and Mohd. Aslam Kazi (Saudi Arabia), S. K. Wadhawan and K.C. Bahl (Kuwait) and others welcomed the guests.

Madhu Goud Yaskhi, Member of Lok Sabha, spoke on Current Coinage – Infrastructure, followed by Keith Vaz, MP, House of Commons (UK) on Rural Lives and Landscapes

H.E. C.M. Bhandari and Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair with Rasik Patel presented the Achievers Award to: Abbas Ali Mirza – Dubai, Abdulla A Ajmal – Dubai, Akram M. Shaikh – Dubai, Ashok K. Bhargava – India, Mohd. Aslam Kazi – Saudi Arabia, Dr. Avinash Pingle – Abu Dhabi, Jayant Patel – Kenya, Kartick Sehgal – United Kingdom, Kamal Puri – Sharjah, Kamal Vachani – Dubai, Kanwar Chand Bahl – Kuwait, Dr. Mahaveer Mehta – Dubai and others.

Keith Vaz auctioned a painting autographed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, bought by L. K. Pagarani, Chairman, Al Maya Group of Companies, for Pound Sterling 13,000.

9TH NRI AWARDS BANQUET 2005 IN LONDON

NRI INSTITUTE – UK Chapter organized 9th Annual NRI Awards Banquet 2005 – Promoting Indo-British Partnership on 26th October 2005 at the Radisson SAS Portman Hotel, London was a big success. More than 400 leading Indian and British businessmen and NRIs from the world over attended.

Hon’ble Tony McNulty, Minister of State for Immigration, Citizenship, and Nationality Home Office presented the Pride of India Gold Award to Anu Natarajan – Illinois, USA, Cllr. Amrit Mediratta – London, UK, Balwant Grewal – London, UK, C. B. Patel – London, UK, Gaurav Seth – Toronto, Canada, Hasmukh R. Devani – Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. I. P. Patel – London, UK, K. B. Shankar – London, UK, Kavita Oberoi – Derbyshire, UK, Krishan Ralleigh – London, UK, Dr. Omkaram Nalamasu – New York, USA, Raj N. Shah – Chicago, USA, Ravi Gidar – London, UK, Rickie Sehgal – London, UK, Dr. S. K. Nagpal – Lancashire, UK and Surinder Aujla – London, UK.

Payal Tak, President & CEO, TELESIS Corporation, Maryland, USA was declared as NRI Woman of the Year.

10TH NRI AWARDS BANQUET IN LONDON

NRI Institute’s –10th NRI Awards Banquet was held in glittering Ballroom of Radisson SAS Portman Hotel in London on ------- more than 400 distinguished guests from India and abroad graced the function that including internationally renowned technocrat Mr. Sam Pitroda, Lord Bilimoria, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Verma, H. H. Judge Michael Fysh Hon’ble Tony McNulty and Editor Asian Voice, Mr. C.B.Patel .

Mr. Rasik Patel, International Chairman, NRI Institute said that “One of the most important functions of the NRI Institute is to promote closer understanding of the aspirations and achievements of the Indian Diaspora at all levels of government and society in India. Mr. Jagmohan Singh, Secretary General, NRI Institute said that “The NRI Institute founded in 1989 provided a platform for the Indian Diaspora and the native Indians. The Institute highlights the achievements of NRIs and PIOs and honours them in their chosen field of activities.

A Memento on behalf of the NRI Institute was presented to Lord Karan Bilimoria and Baroness Verma for their appointment to the House of Lords. In her response to the honour done by the NRI Institute Baroness Verma said “She was deeply impressed by the various activities organized by the Institute as she had herself attended some of the functions hosted by the Institute. Chief Guest of the evening Tony McNulty lauded the NRI Institute’s efforts.


NRI DIVAS – 2006

H. E. Sir Michael Arthur, British High Commissioner to India was the Chief Guest at the NRI Institute’s NRI DIVAS on 10th January 2006 at Hotel InterContinental The Grand, New Delhi. The other noted speakers were Lord D. B. Lall — UK, Sardar Tarlochan Singh, MP, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities, H. E. Yasukuni Enoki, and Ambassador of Japan to India, Aijaz Ahmad, Director, Rainbow Fostering Services, UK. The Ambassadors and High Commissioners NRI DIVAS 2007 who attended were H. E. Dragovest Goranov, Ambassador of Bulgaria, H. E. Dominique Girard, Ambassador of France, H. E. Kieren Dowling, Ambassador of Ireland, H. E. Kairat E. Umarov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, H. E. Eric F. Ch. Niehe, Ambassador of Netherlands, H. E. Graeme Waters, High Commissioner of New Zealand, H. E. Mr. Jon Westborg, Ambassador of Norway and H. E. Pundit Maniedeo Persad, High Commissioner of Trinidad & Tobago. More than 300 NRIs and Persons of Indian Origin attended the 33rd NRI Institute Event from UK, USA, Canada, UAE, Seychelles, Trinidad & Tobago, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Bangkok, France, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries, according to the Secretary General of the NRI Institute Mr. Jagmohan Singh. Twenty NRIs and Persons of Indian Origin were honoured on the occasion. The Government of the Jammu and Kashmir was the Partner State to the Event. A Select Group of Kashmiri Artistes presented a scintillating and colorful performance.